Gunsmoke
by GrandNinjaMasterRen
Summary: The haze of gunsmoke drifts lazily over the battlefield. Tim’s hands hold the camera steady as bullets fly overhead. ‘I should’ve gone into retail’ he thinks. He can’t bring himself to regret his decision, though. A wry smile touches his lips as the soldiers pull away from the fight. “A comment, Captain Todd?” “Get that camera outa my face. Yes, you can quote me on that.”
1. Chapter 1

The soldier in the passenger seat of the truck smirked at the youth who was fiddling with his camera.

"You ready for this, kid?" The man called back to him.

"A'course he ain't." The soldier sitting next to the teen countered.

"I'm not a kid and I have a name..." the young man said quietly, a blush tinting his pale cheeks.

"Oh yeah, kid? What's your name?" The driver asked.

"Tim," the boy said, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat.

"My name's Tim Drake." His voice was stronger, but his shy blush only deepened. The man in the passenger seat laughed.

"Alright, kiddo. I'm -" the man was cut off by the truck swerving. The man turned his eyes forward.

"Shit. James get the other trucks on the radio." The man next to Tim began to fiddle with a cb-type radio device. Tim leveled the camera at the windshield, recording the chaos of the skirmish. Yelling and the screech of metal and rumbling of tires dominated the hearing of those around.

"Cap, we've got hostiles on our six!"

"The lead truck's down!"

"Seven gunmen at two o'clock!"

The shouting rang loudly in Tim's ears, voices overlapping. A hand clamped down on Tim's arm, dragging him out of the vehicle.

"Come on, kid! Move!" The soldier snarled at Tim as he pulled the young cameraman after him. Not two seconds later, the truck Tim had been in exploded. The soldier took the brunt of the force, but it still knocked both of them off their feet. Tim fumbled to keep hold of his camera, still recording.

"Tim!" Lois screamed, rushing over to him. Tim disentangled himself from the man and stood. Lois was quick to fuss over him, brushing dark hair from his eyes, wiping dirt and blood from his face. The soldier pushed himself up, it was the man from the truck, the one in the passengers seat. Tim caught sight of the name-tag on the man's chest, Todd. From from the insignia on Todd's uniform, he was the ranking officer here.

As if summoned by Tim's thoughts, the rest of the soldiers began wandering out from the now quiet battleground. They came in ones and twos, bloodied and battered. Tim lifted his camera to catch sight of the men through its cracked and dusty lens. Lois wrapped he arm around Tim, who stepped closer to her.

"What happened?" Lois asked. Todd shook his head.

"Not here. Not in the open. James, take camera-boy," Todd said, waving his hand haphazardly in Tim's direction, "Cruz take Ms. Lane. Make sure neither of them gets killed."

"Yessir." The two men said in unison.

"Cap," another soldier broke in," The base is still sixty-three miles northwest of here and they're expecting us by nightfall."

"James?" Todd asked and looked as though he would say more, but the other man cut him off.

"No dice, Cap. Radio was in the truck when it blew." James said, tapping a finger against his thigh.

"Right," Todd muttered, then louder, he spoke up," Alright. We're walking to base. It'll take about another two days or so, so we're going to have to conserve resources. Oh, and Ms. Lane?" Lois tilted her head.

"Yes, Captain Todd?" She asked formally.

"Keep your kid out from underfoot, okay?" Tim growled lowly at Todd's words. Lois pulled her hair up into a ponytail, seemingly disregarding the soldier's words.

" _Tim_ won't be a problem." She said, putting emphasis on the teen's name. Todd narrowed his eyes, but didn't push further.

"Alright! Let's move out!" He called leading his squadron forward. Tim nibbled on his lower lip and leveled his camera at the group of soldiers leading the way.

"Here we go," Tim whispered more to himself than anything else, "It's too late to turn back."


	2. Chapter 2

Tim stumbled up the forested hill. James grabbed Tim's wrist, steadying the teen.

"Careful, Camera-boy." James said quietly. The sun had just kissed the horizon. The rain-heavy clouds hung low over the darkening sky. Mists gently chilled the group as they limped onwards.

"Cap," Cruz called from somewhere to Tim's left, "We're gonna need to stop soon. The lil' lady looks about to faint." Tim bumped into James as the soldiers stopped. Only a hand clamping down on his arm kept Tim from falling. Todd forced Tim to look at him. Tim wet his lips as he stared at the soldier with half-lidded eyes. Todd sighed.

"Carry her. We can't stop here." Todd ordered. Tim righted himself with much difficulty. Todd shook his head.

"Come 'ere, Camera-boy." Todd offered his back.

"W-what?"

"Piggyback ride. You do know what that is, right?" Todd half-growled, getting annoyed. Tim didn't have the energy to argue, so he looped his arms around Todd's neck, still clutching his camera tight. The heat from Todd's body and his smooth gait lulled Tim to sleep.

* * *

"Hey, Camera-boy... Camera-boy... Wake up." Tim stirred. He lifted his head from where it was pillowed on Todd's back.

"We're stopping for the night, kiddo." Todd said gently. Tim slid down from the soldier's back, stumbling when he hit the ground. A half-dozen soldiers, not including Todd who was talking to Lois, bustled around, setting up makeshift shelters out of fallen branches or clearing the ground to make a more comfortable bed. Tim watched their movements with eyelids drooping lower and lower.

* * *

Lieutenant Alexander James knelt next to the sleeping teen. He went to pick up Camera-boy.

"I'll get 'em" Captain Jason Todd said, placing a hand on James's arm. James nodded and moved back to allow the captain to lift the younger man into his arms. Jason settled the youth in one of the shelters. He lingered there for a moment, studying the gentle face of the sleeping teen jealously. The young man was relaxed, even in the middle of a battle zone. He had no idea of what could happen. Jason envied his innocence. He brushed the thick, messy bangs from Camera-boy's face.

Shaking his head, Jason went to check on the rest of his squad.

"Cap." Sergeant Marcus Cruz called. Jason strode over to him. Cruz was staunching the bleeding on the arm of Corporal Lawerence Evans. Jason glared at the lowest ranking member of his team.

"Why didn't you tell anyone you were injured?" Jason asked, deceptively calm.

"I-"

"You can die from that and we don't have any way of getting you to a doctor." Jason growled. Evans hung his head.

"Sorry, Cap'tn."

"As far as I can tell there's no shrapnel in the wound, but..." Cruz trailed off. Jason nodded.

"Do what you can." Jason cast a concerned glance over his soldiers.

"Cap," Master Sargent Benjamin Torres came up behind Jason, "Who's taking first watch?"

Jason glanced around, taking stock of everyone's conditions.

"I will. Get some sleep, Torres. You're second. Martinez will be third." Torres nodded and moved off. Jason settled down to watch over his squad.


	3. Chapter 3

Tim tightens his grip on his mother's hand. Too used to the empty silence of his house, the large, brightly coloured crowds of the circus frightens the child. His parents talk to someone, low voices drowning in the clamor.

Tim is pressed into someone's arms.

The dark-haired boy smiles brightly at Tim. His blue eyes glint with an adoring light.

The world seems to slow, outright stop.

The flash of a camera is so far away.

The crowd seems to thin, their din fading to a gentle hum.

The world fades in the boy's smile.

And Tim isn't afraid anymore.

His father plucks him from the boy's arms and they take their seats. The show begins.

The bright costumes reflect spotlights, as the boy dances through the air, flying like a bird.

A snap breaks the awed silence.

The boy screams.

* * *

He screamed, sitting straight up. His breathing was shallow and quick. Jason was at Camera-boy's side in an instant. He covered the younger man's mouth with his hand.

"Breathe, Camera-boy." Jason said softly, "You're safe. No one's going to hurt you." The teen took a shaky breath.

"S- sorry" He stammered, "I just-" Jason pulled away from Camera-boy.

"I don't particularly care what happens, so long as you keep it quiet-like." Jason bit out, as he moved towards his backpack. Lois came rushing in to fuss over Camera-boy.

"Bad dream?" She asked, checking his temperature. The youth wet his lips his eyes mot straying from Jason.

"An old memory," he responded, "One I haven't thought about in a while. The night at the circus."

Jason was reminded irresistibly of his older brother, the circus brat turned cop with whom he shared adopted father. Jason turned back to Camera-boy.

"The circus scares you that bad?" He asked cuttingly. The teen drops his gaze.

"It does when people die."

"Metropolis isn't exactly 'murder central', Camera-boy."

"But a circus in Gotham is certainly a target."

"I live in Gotham; Nothing like that has happened in-"

"Sixteen years" they said together; Jason in exasperation, Camera-boy in recitation.

"How?"

"I used to live in Gotham." He says quickly.

"And you moved..?" Jason prompted.

"After that night. Mother didn't think it was safe." Camera-boy said, rolling his eyes. Jason scoffed.

"I-" Jason began.

"If y'all are done flirting..?" Warrant Officer Cayden Hughes asked pointedly, gesturing to the horizon.

"I wasn't flirting!" Camera-boy yelled, a blush tinting his cheeks. Jason turned back to his pack.

"You speak, and yet, I find myself missing your taciturn silence, Hughes." Jason quipped, slinging his bag over his shoulders.

"Does everyone have everything?" Evens fussed.

"Let's move." Jason commanded.


End file.
